Apparatus for testing the thickness of threads, wires, strips, and the like



se 17,1935.- N. G. BIAGULEIY'ETAL w 2,014,998

APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE THICKNESS OF THREADS, WIRES, STRIPS AND THELIKE F1196. Jan. so. 1933; I v 2 Sheets-Shae}; 1

WWII? Sept. 17, 1935. G. BAGULEY EI'AL 2,014,993 APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE THICKNESS 0F THREADS; WIRES, STRIPS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 50, 1933 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTIJRS Nme q. r5

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If a thread be passed continuously through 9, electrical resistance may be measured directly or comparatively narrow orifice such for instance'as a thermo-eleotric j n element y be a capillary tube through which a current of air eluded as p Of the W P aced in 0105s is passing at thesame time, and if the thread Proximity to the said wire. varies in thickness, the flow of air will also vary, We generally Prefer t a e O the ea ed since when a, thicke part of th th d passes wire in the form of a coil and to record the temthrough the tube, less space remains for the air perature variations of the heated coil automatito travel through the tube, and consequently the Cally 011 y suitable recording d v flow of the air will diminish, while on the con- W a prefer to p y a plur lity of wires trary, when a thin part of the thread tr v l divided into two sets, each set .consisting of one through the tube, the flow of air will increase. or more wires. The flowof air p all he wires According to Die Kunsteseide 1931, page 281 et is caused by the s e s u e o p e s seq. this principle has been made u e of in tion. The wires of one set are subjected to the method of testing variations in the denier of a. fl w f th c rren of r n which variations are thread, the pressurevariations resulting from mp d y the varying hi n ahr the variations in flow being measured by a dif- W le in t e O e s t. current o a flOW feren'tial manometer, while the thread is made to P the W es is not subj c d t suc Va ati ns. enter and leave, through mercury seals, the sys- For a p acccl'ding 0 e on We c tem in which the variations of pressure are conveniently P de tWO Wires in each t a d measured. arrange these four wires as the four arms of a When testing threads, wires, strips and the like whca-tstcne bridge circuit- If e be made Of a (hereinafter referred to as the thread) with the recording galvancmctcr, the current Pa apparatus according to the present invention, the through this gall/3110mm?! Will bear a direct relathread is led through a narrow orifice, and at the t0 the thickness of the r ad Practically same time a current of fluid at constant pressure dependent of ny fluctuations n the source of is passed through the same orifice, and the said pressure or suction. I current of fluid is also caused to pass over an The invention l be f the described with r electrical resistance such as a wire or other'elereference to the a o p y drawings which ment (hereinafter referred to as wire) heated by ill r e a ma a ly methods of arryin an electric current in a suitable chamber pro-'- out our invention; Figure 1 illustrates the prin- 5 tected from outside temperature change, while pl p n w i h the v i n is as d. Fi ur 2 the variations in the temperature or resistance of illustrates a p e method of a y out the inthe said wire are measured by any suitable means. vention, and Figure 3 a o ab a m hod al- The orifice may, for example, be in the form of a lowing of greater accuracy than the e od die or a capillary tube and is hereinafter referred lustlatcd, in Figure 40' to as a capillary tube. The fluid may conven- Referring to Figure LA epr se a capillary iently be (and is hereinafter referred to as) air, u rou h w h a ad B passes as it is and may travel in'the same direction as, or in the drawn from a bobbin 0 and collected on a wind-- opposite direction to, the thread. Means coning bobbin D. A broader tube E leads into the sisting of a capillary system free from any sealcapillary tube A at about its centre. A coil G of mg liquid are employed as hereinafter set forth suitable wire is arranged in the said tube E and being so disposed as to cause the said current of is in circuit with a source of current H and a fluid to traverse the said narrow orifice. The galvanometerK. When employing this simplest changes in the rate of flow 01' the air cause variaform of our invention, suction is applied at E the tions in the cooling effect of the air on the heated source of suction being as constant as possible;

Patented Sept. 17,1935

APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE THICKNESS OF I'EIHR EADS, WIRES, STRIPS, AND THE Noel Gregory Baguley, Kenilworth, Charles Fred Topham, Earlsdon, Coventry, and Tom Ben- .nett Lewis, Coventry, England, assignors to Courtaulds Limited, London, England, a British company I Application January 30, 1933, Serial No. 654,294

In Great Britain February 27, 1932 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-125) This invention relates to a new apparatus for examining the nature of variations in denier,

count or thickness of .a thread, which may be of silk, artificial silk, staple fibre, cotton, wool,

worsted, strip, ribbon wire or the like.

wire, the electrical resistance of which alters correspondingly. It will thus be seen' that the resistance of the heated wire bears a relation to the thickness 01' the thread, and by observing the variations in the temperature or resistance of the heated wire, valuable information regarding the variation in the thickness of the thread can be obtained. It will be understood that any known method of indicating temperature changes in or around the wire may be used, for example the Variations in the thickness of the thread B passing through the capillary tube A cause variations in current of air flowing through E and variations in'the' cooling effect and consequently in the resistance of the coil G; the variations in current thus produced can be detected on the galvanometer K. The iormot apparatus illustrated in Fig-v ure 1 is shown merely to show clearly the principle 01 our invention; in practice we prefer themore accurate forms illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

Referring to Figure 2, A represents a capillary tube through which passes the thread B as it is drawn from the bobbin C and collected on the winding bobbin D. Two broader tubes '23 and F lead into the capillary tube at two such points along its length, that the length of capillary tube between E and F is short in comparison with the two other parts of the capillary tube. In the tube E is arranged a coil G 01' suitable wire, forming a resistance through which a current is passed by quantity of air passing will vary according to the denier of the thread B which is passing through the capillary, being smaller as the thread is larger in diameter and vice versa. The variationsoi' flow in the air will produce difierent cooling eflects on the coil G and consequent variations in the current passing through the spiral, which variations of current can be detected on the galvanometer K.

. air is drawn away by a branch tube p.

'Figure 3 illustrates a more elaborate and sensitive method 01' working-according to this invention,'in which use is made of four coils a, b, c and d suitable wire arranged as the four arms 01' a Wheatstone bridge circuit. Preferably use is made of a wire having a high temperature coefllcient of resistance. 9 represents the capillary tube through which the thread 1 passes on its way from the bobbin h to the bobbin 6. The coils a. and b are situated in broader tubesleading into thecapillary g. The coils c and d are situated in similar positions with regard to another capillary 1, while the centres or the two capillaries a and l are joined together by a tube from which 7' represents a manometer ior conveniently observing the degree of suction in the tube p. k represents a micrometer valve and m a variable resistance by the adjustment 01 which a state oi balance is reached in the Wheatstone bridge circuit. This adjustment should be made initially with a standard thread in the capillary, the said standard thread being oi approximately the same thickness as the thread to be tested. n is. an accumu 'lator'and o a galvanometer for recording the .va-

riation in current. By employing the four coils in the manner described, any fluctuations which may occasionally occur in the source of suction,

will cause practically an equal change in temperature in all four coils', so that the current flowing through the galvanometer is practically unaflected by any fluctuations in the source of suction.

It will be understood that we may use either pressure or suction to produce the flow of fluid through the capillary. 4

It will be noted in each of the Figures 2 and 3 that the thread passes through an additional piece of capillary tubing at each end of the capillary in which the flow of air is being tested. These additional capillary tubes term means by which the thread can be led into and out from the measuring capillary tube without deleteriously aifecting the flow of air in the said measuring capillary tube. The rise of these additional lengths of capillary tube'oifers advantages over the mercury seals which have hitherto been proposed. Referring to the apparatus. represented di- 5 a will alter the balance of the Wheatstone circuit and the needle of the galvanometer o-will move in one direction. When the thick part-of the thread passes. p, the flow of air through the capillary tube between a and a will be diminished and the temperature of the resistance of the coil :1 will increase. Since the resistance coils a and b are in opposite arms of the Wheatstone circuit, an n increase of resistance either in a. or b will tend to move the galvanometer needle in the same direction, and it the resistances of both the coils a and b increase simultaneously, the eflect on the'galvanometer will be cumulative. with a capillary tube of internal diameter 0.015 inch and a thread '25 of rayon of '72 denier and 14 filaments, the thread can conveniently be passed through the capillary tube at a speed of 20 metersper minute, while with a thread of greater denier, a slower speed is convenient. The lengths of capillary tube between a. and a and between b and Q can each be 1 cm. or less. The apparatus is then particularly useful in ascertaining whether there is any marked irregularity due to uneven delivery by the pump which supplies the spinning solution, to the spinning nozzle; such irregularities extend however, over a comparatively long length of yarn, say several meters. If the thread being tested has only short irregularities, then anapparatus of thetype disclosed in Fig. 2 can be 40 employed, and the length of the testing capillary between E and F can be chosen as short as desirable, that is to say, short in comparison with the irregularity; for instance, the capillary part 'ca be less than 1 mm. in length.

What we claim is:-

1. Apparatus for testing the regularity of a thread comprising a comparatively narrow oriflee, means for passing both the thread and a. current of fluid simultaneously through the said orifice and comprising a capillary system con- "taining gaseous matter but free from any sealsimultaneously through the said-tube and comprising a capillary system containing gaseous matter but free from any sealing liquid, and so disposed as to cause the said current of fluid to traverse the said capillary tube, means for passing the said current of fluid over an electrical resistance, through which a current of electricity is passing, and means for measuring the variation in the electrical conditions obtaining-in the said electrical resistance.

3. Apparatus for testingthe regularity of a thread comprising a pair of comparatively narrow orifices in tandem,,means i'or passing both mousse thethreadand respective branches of a current or fluid simultaneously through the said oriflces' and each comprising a capillary system containing gaseous matter but free from any sealing liquid, and so disposed as to cause the said re spective branch currents of fluid to traverse the said narrow oriflces, means for passing the said CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

I Patent No. 2,014,998.

NOEL GREGORY. BAGULEY, ET AL.

multaneously through the said tube and comprising a capillary system containing gaseous matter but'rree of any sealing liquid, and so disposed as to cause the said current of fluid to traverse the said capillary tube in two branches and in opposite directions, means for passing each of the said branch currents of fluid over respective electrical resistances, through which respective currents of electricity are passing, and means Ior measuring the cumulative variation in the electrical conditions obtaining in the said electrical resistances. 1

NOEL GREGORY BAGULEY. CHARLES FRED TOPHAM. TOM. BENNETT LEWIS.

Septeniber 17, 1935.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 2, for "rise" read use; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with-this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of October. A. D. 1935. 1

(Seal) Leslie ,Frazer IActing Commissioner-of Patents.

mousse thethreadand respective branches of a current or fluid simultaneously through the said oriflces' and each comprising a capillary system containing gaseous matter but free from any sealing liquid, and so disposed as to cause the said re spective branch currents of fluid to traverse the said narrow oriflces, means for passing the said CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

I Patent No. 2,014,998.

NOEL GREGORY. BAGULEY, ET AL.

multaneously through the said tube and comprising a capillary system containing gaseous matter but'rree of any sealing liquid, and so disposed as to cause the said current of fluid to traverse the said capillary tube in two branches and in opposite directions, means for passing each of the said branch currents of fluid over respective electrical resistances, through which respective currents of electricity are passing, and means Ior measuring the cumulative variation in the electrical conditions obtaining in the said electrical resistances. 1

NOEL GREGORY BAGULEY. CHARLES FRED TOPHAM. TOM. BENNETT LEWIS.

Septeniber 17, 1935.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 2, for "rise" read use; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with-this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of October. A. D. 1935. 1

(Seal) Leslie ,Frazer IActing Commissioner-of Patents. 

